One reason Paul caught more fish than anyone else was that he had his flies in the water more than anyone else. "Brother," he would say, "there are no flying fish in Montana. Out here, you can't catch fish with your flies in the air."
~Norman Maclean

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Magic

There is a indescribable beauty in the MF Salmon River at Dagger Falls. Above the falls the river splits into its headwater creeks; Marsh Creek and Bear Creek, which remain among the best spawning habitat for Salmon and Steelhead any where in the world. And the fish that make the 900 or so mile 6500 foot climb from the ocean to these headwaters are among the "most fit" any where.

The mortality rate introduced by the dams on the Columbia is atrocious. But despite the dams, the returns for the last couple of years have been good. It is hard to know how much longer these runs can endure. I am taking my 4 year old boy up to Salmon in late October so that he can build some memories of this river and these fish while there are still fish.......................

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About Me: Jabberwock

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.